Means for protecting shores and directing the flow of watercourses.



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J. W. ADAMSON.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING SHORES AND DIRECTING THE FLOW OF WATER COURSES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-16,1915: 1,146,229. Patented July 13, 1915.

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"JOHN W. ADAMSONQOF FULLERTON, NEBRASKA.

MEANS- FOR PROTECTING SHORES AND DIRECTING THE FLOW OF WATERCOURSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.'Application filed January 16, 1915; SerialNo. 2;636.

To all'whom it may concern a citizen of the United States, residing at Fullerton, in the county of Nance and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Protecting Shores and Directingthe' Flow of Watercourses, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for protecting shores and-directing the flow v of water courses and has forits primary object to provide a device of this general classwhich will be of simple and durable con- 'struction, and particularly adaptable for building up the shore line after it has'been' and is attached-to'all-the upright members I The bottom construction of the crib is provided with a false bottom by means of washed away.

Another object of the invention is toconstruct the device in'such a manner as to retard the current of the water course without confining the water around the structure,

thereby building up a substantial sand spitor the like in and around the sides of the 1 device.

Another object of the invention is to construct the device with what I will hereinafter term a mattress, the purpose of'which is to check the flow of the water at the bottom of'the device and force it up-through the looser texture confined in the upper part of the structure and thereby deposit the sediment carried in the water ina'nd around 1 *thereby'dep'osit the sediment in and around understood upon reference" to the .accom panying drawing.

In said drawing :Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the device in use. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the device in the water, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the manner of connecting the uprights to the sills.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device embodies substantially a crib-like structure having a frame comprising a plurality of sill members 1 adapted to rest on the bottom of the water course, a plurality of uprights 2 mortised and held firmly in place by bolts to the sill members and near the middle thereof, a plurality of braces 3, extending from the end of the sill members to the top of the upright members and also attached thereto by bolts, a longitudinal brace memberon both sides of the structure con- Be it known that I, JOHN W. ADAMSON,

nected to all of the sill members by bolts,

and side rail members 5 connecting all of the upright members at their tops to'be also attached by bolts. With the frame of the crib constructedin'this manner it may be readily appreciated, with the exception of the sill and upright, how all of the parts are flexibly connected to each other. This flexibility is provided in order that the frame may-adapt itself to rest firmly on the bot a double thickness of'the mesh Wire overlying and underlying the sill members 1. The'space provided between the two layers of -wire' is filled with hay, or other material that may be thickly packed, and thereby providewhat I term, a mattress 7. The upper part of the crib is filled with brush or some other suitable material which does not pack so thickly. The advantages of the hay mattress and the brush filler are that the hay mattress will provide a complete barrier for the current of water and cause it to :pass

through the thinner material on top and the crib.

It is to be understood that it is not desirable to construct the entire crib as a complete barrier, but only a portion thereof,

such as I have shown by the hay mattress. When the brush has been placed in the crib, a wire or the like 8 is used to prevent it from floating off, by zig-zagging it through the eyes provided on the top of the uprights. To properly attach the crib to the shore and prevent "the water current from rushing between it and the shore, the inner ends of the mesh wire, which form the con fining walls for the hay mattress are constructed with aprons 9 which are adapted to extend up and over the bank of the water course, and, when properly filled with hay PatenteolJuly 1a, 1915. v

and brush as shown, will retard the water It is to be also noted that on one side of the crib the mesh wire is provided with an apron which is bent at right angles to the crib and extends along the bank. Suitable posts may be provided to firmly anchor the apron in place.

While I have only shown the device as used in connection with protecting shores of water courses, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular manner of use, as it could probably be used in other hydraulic engineering projects.

While I have shown the framework of the crib constructed of wood and put together with bolts, 1 do not wish to be limited to the precise construction, as other material may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. A device for the purpose described, comprising suitable confining walls con structed to house a filling of brush while permitting flow of Water therethrough, a filler of brush between said walls, a double bottom having a mattress space, and a mattress of closer texture than the brush filler in said mattress space constructed to direct the flow of water through the filler of brush.

2. A device for the purpose described, comprising suitable confining walls con structed to house a filling of brush, and a double bottom having a mattress space, the upper layer of said double bottom extending beyond the inshore end'of the frame, and adapted to overlie and be secured to the upper portion of the bank.

3. A device for the purpose described, comprising suitable confining Walls constructed to house a filling of brush, and a double bottom having a mattress space, the upper layer of said double bottom extending beyond the inshore end of the frame, and adapted to overlie and be secured to the upper portion of the bank, and the lower layer of said bottom bein left free to lie uoon the a double bottom having a mattress space, the

upper layer of said double bottom extending beyond the inshore end of the frame, and adapted to overlie and be secured to the upper portion of the bank, and one of said confining walls having an extension constructed to be anchored to and extended along the bank at right angles to the main structure.

5. A device for the purpose described, comprising a framework constructed. of a plurality of sill members adapted to lie on the bottom of the Water course, upright members mortised to the sill members, diagonal brace members connecting the sill and upright members, longitudinal brace members connecting all of the sill members, side rail members connecting the top of the upright members, a mesh wire surrounding the sides and outer end of the device pro viding confining walls adapted to house a filling of brush, and a double bottom having a mattress, the upper layer of said double bottom extending beyond the inner end of the frame and adapted to overlie and be secured to the upper portion of the bank, and the lower layer of said bottom being left free to lie upon the bottom or shore near the water line, and one of said confining walls having an apron adapted to be anchored and extended along the bank at right angles to the device.

The foregoing specification signed at Fullerton, Nance (10., Nebraska, this 26th day of December, 191

JOHN W. ADAMSUTLL In presence of J. R. SHIELDS, A. D. FnLLnRs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). C. 

